Atal tunnel: PM Modi to inaugurate Rohtang tunnel; 15 facts about world’s longest road tunnel above 10,000 feet

Atal Tunnel: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Rohtang Tunnel, also known as the Atal tunnel at Rohtang on the morning of Saturday, ie, October 3. The Rohtang tunnel, named after former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was slated to be completed by May 2020, according to an IE report. However, the coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown caused the project to be delayed by a few months. The tunnel holds strategic importance as it poses an alternative to the Rohtang Pass and reduces the travel time between Manali valley and Lahaul-Spiti Valley significantly, hence providing a boost to the movement of armed forces. Rohtang tunnel or the Atal tunnel is also said to be the longest highway tunnel in the world at a height of above 10,000 feet.